1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of shipping containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a shipping container which is insulated in order to maintain an article shipped in the container at a refrigerated temperature for a period of time, for example, while the container and it""s contents are in shipment. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to such a container; which is formed at least in part of foamed polymer material, to an article used in the manufacture of the container, and to a machine used to carry out the manufacture of the container.
2. Related Technology
Conventional insulated shipping containers of the so-called box-within-a-box configuration are well known. These conventional box-within-a-box containers have an outer box formed of corrugated cardboard and a smaller inner open-topped box, which is also formed of corrugated cardboard. These two boxes define a void space, which during the manufacture of such a shipping container, is filled with a foamed polymer material acting as an insulating medium. During the use of such a conventional container it is common practice to insert the article or articles to be shipped into the inner box along with a piece of dry ice and perhaps some loose packing material (such as foamed styrene xe2x80x9cpeanutsxe2x80x9d) and to insert an insulating closure piece, which is a cut piece of comparatively thick closed-cell foam sheet. This closure piece is inserted at the opening of the inner box.
This and other conventional insulated shipping containers have several shortcomings. First, the box-within-a-box container is both labor intensive and material intensive to make. Secondly, the materials of this conventional container are not recyclable because the foamed polymer material bonds securely to the inner and outer cardboard boxes. Because these dissimilar materials are bonded together so securely that they cannot be conveniently separated, most recycling facilities will not accept these containers.
More seriously, these conventional containers constitute a single box-like cavity for storage of organs or other specimens without regard for the separation of such articles or the accompanying documentation or the refrigerant, such as dry ice. There are no separate compartments for each article being shipped, for the refrigerant, or for the accompanying documentation. Thus, when an article is being shipped in the container, there is no provision for documentation for the article to accompany the shipped article. There is also the possibility of the article developing cold spots at a point of contact with the dry ice or other refrigerant. Such cold spots may be a major problem when the article being shipped is a human organ for transplant.
The problem compounds even further when multiple articles are being shipped in a single container as the possibility of one article or it""s accompanying documentation contaminating the entire contents of the container increases. The possibility of articles coming into contact with the refrigerant also increases, as does the possibility of mix-ups in the documentation for the articles. Often, such documentation is shipped or mailed in a separate package or envelope, with the necessity then that the documentation be properly matched up with the shipped articles. This proper matching is critical when the shipped articles are human organs for transplant.
In view of the deficiencies of the related technology, it is recognized as desirable to provide an insulated shipping container with multiple compartments. The main compartment, of which there may be one or more, may serve to receive and hold the specimen or organ, for example, being shipped in the container; while smaller secondary compartments adjacent to the main compartment may be utilized for storage of accompanying documentation or may receive a refrigerant, such as dry ice. In this way the necessary documentation may accompany the shipment without fear of it getting lost, or of contamination of the specimen being shipped by either the documentation or the refrigerant.
Other desirable features for this new insulated container are for it to be totally recyclable as well as efficient and inexpensive to make.
In view of the deficiencies of the conventional technology, an object for this invention is to overcome, or to reduce the severity of, one or more of the deficiencies of the conventional technology.
Further, as pointed out above, it is an object of this invention to provide an insulated shipping container with multiple compartments usable for transporting either a single article and it""s documentation or multiple articles and their documentation without a danger of cross contamination of either the articles shipped or their documentation.
It is also an object of this invention to provide an insulated shipping container in which articles may be transported without fear of their being harmed by the refrigerant used to maintain the articles cooled during shipment.
Another object for the present invention is to provide an insulated shipping container, which is more time-efficient to make than the conventional insulated shipping container.
Another object for the present invention to provide an insulated shipping container; which is more material-efficient to make than the conventional insulated shipping container.
Another object for such a new insulated shipping container is that it be substantially recyclable.
Accordingly, the present invention according to one aspect provides an insulated shipping container including a unitary prismatic body of foamed polymer material, the body defining a floor wall and plural side walls cooperatively defining a plurality of cavities within the unitary body, an opening from each cavity, a transition surface surrounding the opening, and an exterior surface of the shipping container, the body further defining an integrally bonded un-foamed polymer sheet facing each cavity, the transition surface, and at least that portion of the exterior surface defined by the side walls.
An advantage of this invention is that the insulated shipping container is durable enough to endure several shipments, if desired. In the event that the container is to be used only one time, it is substantially recyclable.
The invention according to another aspect provides a plastic bag article of manufacture for use in making an insulated shipping container having a body of foamed polymer material substantially contained within the plastic bag article, the body of foamed polymer material defining multiple chambers therein and an opening outwardly from the chambers surrounded by a transition surface, the plastic bag article including a generally or somewhat rectangular end portion; and a curved or flaring skirt section extending from the rectangular end portion to a transverse line at which the bag defines a hoop dimension sufficient to allow the bag to extend across the transition surface of the body of foamed polymer material.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a method of making such a compartmentalized shipping container including steps of providing a body of foamed polymer material, and configuring the body to define multiple chambers of various size, each with an opening therefrom to ambient, a transition surface surrounding the opening, and a prismatic external surface; providing a sheet of un-foamed plastic material, and integrally bonding the sheet to the body of foamed polymer material so as to completely face each chamber.
Another additional aspect of the invention is that it provides a machine for use in making an insulated shipping container with multiple compartments according to the present invention. This machine includes a base portion having an internal cavity and defining an upper surface; a source of vacuum connected to the internal cavity of the base portion; plural core members matching in size and shape the plural cavities of the insulated shipping container and disposed upon the base member; an array of cooperative wall members hingeably attached to the base portion and in a first position hinging away from one another to leave the core members exposed upon the base portion, the wall members hinging on the base member to a second position in which the wall members engage one another at adjacent edges and cooperatively define an enclosure surrounding the plural core members in spaced relation thereto.
Still additionally, the present invention provides a heat-sealing table for use in making a plastic bag used in an insulated shipping container, and including: a table-like base portion with a flat table-like upper surface defining a cavity, the cavity having a sloping floor wall, two side walls, a front wall. A heat sealing margin is defined about three sides of the perimeter of the cavity, and selectively controllable vacuum source capable of supplying sufficient vacuum force on two plastic sheets as to hold them firmly in place within the cavity and upon the heat-sealing margin.